An apparatus for improving the uniformity of an ion beam is disclosed. The apparatus includes a heating element to heat an edge of the suppression electrode that is located furthest from the suppression aperture. In operation, the edge of the suppression electrode nearest to the suppression electrode may be heated by the ion beam. This heat may cause the suppression electrode to distort, affecting the uniformity of the ion beam. By heating the distal edge of the suppression electrode, the thermal distortion of the suppression electrode can be controlled. In other embodiments, the distal edge of the suppression electrode is heated to create a more uniform ion beam. By monitoring the uniformity of the ion beam downstream from the suppression electrode, such as by use of a beam uniformity profiler, a controller can adjust the heat applied to the distal edge to achieve the desired ion beam uniformity.

A charged particle beam source for a surface processing apparatus is disclosed. The charged particle beam source comprises: a plasma chamber; a plasma generation unit adapted to convert an input gas within the plasma chamber into a plasma containing charged particles; and a grid assembly adjacent an opening of the plasma chamber. The grid assembly comprises one or more grids each having a plurality of apertures therethrough, the one or more grids being electrically biased in use so as to accelerate charged particles from the plasma through the grid(s) to thereby output a charged particle beam, the major axis of which is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the grid assembly. The transmissivity of the or each grid to the charged particles is defined by the relative proportion of aperture area to non-aperture area, and at least one of the grids has a transmissivity which varies across the grid along a first direction, the transmissivity being lower adjacent a first extremity of the grid than adjacent a second extremity of the grid opposite the first extremity, the first direction lying parallel to the plane of the grid assembly, such that in use the charged particle beam output by the source has a non-uniform charged particle current density profile in a plane parallel to the plane of the grid assembly which varies along the first direction, the charged particle current density being lower adjacent a first edge of the beam than adjacent a second edge of the beam opposite the first edge.

An apparatus for the creation of high current ion beams is disclosed. The apparatus includes an ion source, such as a RF ion source or an indirectly heated cathode (IHC) ion source, having an extraction aperture. Disposed proximate the extraction aperture is a bias electrode, which has a hollow center portion that is aligned with the extraction aperture. A magnetic field is created along the perimeter of the hollow center portion, which serves to contain electrons within a confinement region. Electrons in the confinement region energetically collide with neutral particles, increasing the number of ions that are created near the extraction aperture. The magnetic field may be created using two magnets that are embedded in the bias electrode. Alternatively, a single magnet or magnetic coils may be used to create this magnetic field.

An ion implanter is provided that includes an ion source configured to generate an ion beam and an analyzer magnet defining a chamber having a magnetic field therein. The chamber provides a curved path between a first end and a second end of the chamber. The ion source is disposed within the chamber of the analyzer magnet adjacent to the first end. The analyzer magnet is configured to bend the ion beam from the ion source within the chamber along the curved path to spatially separate one or more ion species in the ion beam while the ion source is immersed in the magnetic field of the analyzer magnet.

An ion source is provided that includes a gas source for supplying a gas, and an ionization chamber defining a longitudinal axis extending therethrough and including an exit aperture along a side wall of the ionization chamber. The ion source also includes one or more extraction electrodes at the exit aperture of the ionization chamber for extracting ions from the ionization chamber in the form of an ion beam. At least one of the extraction electrodes comprises a set of discrete rods forming a plurality of slits in the at least one extraction electrode for enabling at least one of increasing a current of the ion beam or controlling an angle of extraction of the ion beam from the ionization chamber. Each rod in the set of discrete rods is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the ionization chamber.

A negative ion source includes a plasma chamber, a microwave source, a negative ion converter, a magnetic filter and a beam formation mechanism. The plasma chamber contains gas to be ionized. The microwave source transmits microwaves to the plasma chamber to ionize the gas into atomic species including hyperthermal neutral atoms. The negative ion converter converts the hyperthermal neutral atoms to negative ions. The magnetic filter reduces a temperature of an electron density provided between the plasma chamber and the negative ion converter. The beam formation mechanism extract the negative ions.

Provided herein are approaches for improving ion beam extraction stability and ion beam current for an ion extraction system. In one approach, a source housing assembly may include a source housing surrounding an ion source including an arc chamber, the source housing having an extraction aperture plate mounted at a proximal end thereof. The source housing assembly further includes a vacuum liner disposed within an interior of the source housing to form a barrier around a set of vacuum pumping apertures. As configured, openings in the source housing assembly, other than an opening in the extraction aperture plate, are enclosed by the extraction aperture plate and the vacuum liner, thus ensuring appendix arcs or extraneous ions produced outside the arc chamber remain within the source housing. Just those ions produced within the arc chamber exit the source housing through the opening of the extraction aperture plate.

An apparatus for the creation of high current ion beams is disclosed. The apparatus includes an ion source, such as a RF ion source or an indirectly heated cathode (IHC) ion source, having an extraction aperture. Disposed proximate the extraction aperture is a bias electrode, which has a hollow center portion that is aligned with the extraction aperture. A magnetic field is created along the perimeter of the hollow center portion, which serves to contain electrons within a confinement region. Electrons in the confinement region energetically collide with neutral particles, increasing the number of ions that are created near the extraction aperture. The magnetic field may be created using two magnets that are embedded in the bias electrode. Alternatively, a single magnet or magnetic coils may be used to create this magnetic field.

An apparatus for improving the uniformity of an ion beam is disclosed. The apparatus includes a heating element to heat an edge of the suppression electrode that is located furthest from the suppression aperture. In operation, the edge of the suppression electrode nearest to the suppression electrode may be heated by the ion beam. This heat may cause the suppression electrode to distort, affecting the uniformity of the ion beam. By heating the distal edge of the suppression electrode, the thermal distortion of the suppression electrode can be controlled. In other embodiments, the distal edge of the suppression electrode is heated to create a more uniform ion beam. By monitoring the uniformity of the ion beam downstream from the suppression electrode, such as by use of a beam uniformity profiler, a controller can adjust the heat applied to the distal edge to achieve the desired ion beam uniformity.